OUR STORY: HOW IT ALL BEGAN

The Questors Theatre began nearly 100 years ago, started by a small group of keen actors. Find out how it has grown into a thriving community and a bustling, creative venue for West London.

The Beginning

On 17 September 1929, a new theatre group was formed by 17 members, keen to pursue their dramatic interests. They called themselves the Ealing Junior Arts Club (Dramatic Section), but The Ealing Arts Club objected so a new name had to be found. In a Soho restaurant one Sunday in November 1929, Alec Payne (the group’s first director) suggested “The Questors”.

The group’s first production, The Best People, was performed at the Park Theatre in Hanwell, but precarious finances led them to the smaller venue of St Martin’s Hall in Acton. Searching for a more permanent base, they were put in touch with a local scout group operating out of a small, pre-fabricated “tin church” at Number 12, Mattock Lane.

The Questors Theatre, Mattock Lane

The church at 12 Mattock Lane was founded in 1896 by The Reverend Richard O’Halloran. He had been excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1914 for disobeying the will of his diocese, but continued to give services to a dwindling congregation. On his death in 1925 the property was bequeathed to Miss Ann Webb, who nursed him in his last years. The first Questors performance took place at Mattock Lane on 6th December 1933. It was a new play called Dragon’s Teeth.

Building on our success

The scouts moved out and The Questors became sole tenants, eventually raising enough funds to purchase the site in 1952. Their dream to build a new theatre was now a possibility and fundraising began in earnest. Honorary Director and founding member Alfred Emmet spearheaded the successful funding drive, while The Questors Theatre continued to build its member base and its artistic reputation.

On 18 April 1964, after a decade of funding and building works, the new theatre, designed by Norman Branson, was opened.

Still moving forward!

Over our 80-year history we have raised the funds to buy our own site, construct the buildings you see today and produce over 1,300 productions.

We have launched the careers of directors, actors, playwrights and designers.

Our activities have been covered by the press, on television, radio, and in books, magazines and academic journals. We have arranged new plays festivals, community theatre projects and international theatre exchanges, taking productions to venues as far flung as North America and China. Our popular youth theatre is one of the largest in Britain.

We are a member organisation and a charity so this achievement is testament to the effort and skill of the thousands of members who have contributed to every aspect of The Questors Theatre, transforming us from a passionate group of 17 people into the largest independent community theatre in Europe.

Why not become a part of our story?

Our Mission

In 1943 The Questors’ artistic direction was summed up in a statement of aims (known as “The Quest”), which has remained, with minor amendments, our guiding principle to the present day. The aims are:

To serve the art of the theatre
To achieve the highest possible artistic standards
To be a theatre of learning and education
To be an outward-looking theatre
To be an open and inclusive theatre
To be a theatre of adventure
To remain an independent theatre

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Visit our extensive, searchable archive to explore our history and past productions, complete with programmes and posters. It’s maintained by our members and is a valuable resource.